By Paulo Loreto Lim

The Philippine national football team, the Azkals, came from behind Tuesday night qualifying match at the Rizal Memorial Stadium in Manila, beating Tajikistan, 2-1, and earning a spot in the 2019 AFC Asian Cup – a first for the Philippines.

The competition is scheduled to take place next year, from January 5 to February 1, in the United Arab Emirates.

Following a scoreless first half, a tackle by Ceres-Negros FC midfielder Kevin Ingreso on Tajik midfielder Nuriddin Davronov resulted in a penalty kick for the visiting side, which defender Akhtam Nazarov successfully converted.

Around 10 minutes later, Ingreso headed in the equalizer, after being fed the ball by his former Ceres FC teammate Iain Ramsay, who currently plays for Malaysia Premier League club Felda United FC.

Just before the end of regulation time, the Philippines was awarded a penalty kick, where Phil Younghusband sealed the Azkals’ first trip to the AFC Asian Cup.

However, a scuffle erupted towards the end of stoppage time, where Azkals midfielder Dennis Villanueva and Tajik midfielder Fatkhullo Fatkhuloev were both shown red cards and ejected from the match.

A total of 24 teams qualified for the 2019 AFC Asian Cup, an expansion from the typical 16-team format.

Both Kyrgyzstan and Yemen, which finished second place in Group F, behind the Philippines, will also be making their Asian Cup debuts.

The final draw for the tournament is scheduled for May./PLL, WDJ